Fallout: Revelations
by MistaToro
Summary: The world as we knew it was gone. And what has been left here to haunt us was the apocalypse. Recently some of these things called Vaults have been opened. The first time since the day they were closed. Many ventured into these Vaults and mostly never return the same. How do I know this? Well... it happened to me. My name is Leah Washington and this is my story.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE - **MISSION BEGINS

I woke up to the hum of stillness. I've had eccentric feelings of someone stalking me from my shack. Staring me down from one of the secluded mountains or trees. It gives me the chills just thinking about it.

My body moves off the bed to ask about who's there. I snatch my rifle and stroll near the entrance of my cabin. I reach towards the knob of the door and unlatch the lock before proceeding out.

A slight breeze swept across my face. The scent of pine hit my nostrils like a train making them twitch. I turned on my flashlight and aimed it around.

My ears receive an echo similar to someone stepping on twigs. Without hesitation, I snapped towards the sound of the cracking.

*_Crack_*

The sound was louder and in the same direction. I spot a faint figure walking towards me.

With my gun at the ready I ask,

"Who's there?"

It ignored the fact that I was prepared to fire at it and continued to walk towards me.

"If you come any closer I will shoot!" I barked.

As soon as I could see the person's face I pulled my finger off the trigger and sighed.

It was James.

"God dammit, James," I said.

He was smiling.

"Hello Leah," He said happily.

I swung my arms in frustration.

"I could have shot you!"

"But you didn't."

"You know I don't shoot until I see their face," I explained. "Besides what the hell are you doing out here? Don't you know this the worst time to be walking alone in these woods?"

"What I can't just come say hi to fellow friend?" He says. "And don't worry! I got a gun."

"You got a 9mm. That's good if you were attacked by a squirrel." I said. "And I'm pretty sure you didn't just come all the way from the Union to say hi."

"Okay fine, you caught me." He said. "I'll explain, but first let's get inside.

Later in the shack we discussed something rather disturbing.

"What do you mean they're missing?" I asked.

"From what the Union provided me, Ralphie and his team were opted for a research project for Vault 293." He explained. "When they entered, they never returned."

"So why am I involved?" I asked.

"The Union is very particular on who they select to go on a search and rescue mission."

"Great. Just what I need, another reason to enter an abandoned vault created by a dim-witted nation." I said in disgust.

I got up and paced twice before speaking again.

"Is there anyone else that can go?" I asked.

"No. Leah, you are our top mercenary in the Bravo squadron," James said. "If I were to battle along a member of our mercenaries, you would be first."

I would tell him how I felt but I didn't want to act soft.

"I mean, honestly. Do you remember the last time I went into a vault?" He started. "Nothing but cobwebs and skeletons lying about."

I had to process the amount of surprises the Union was throwing at me.

"When do we start?" I asked.

He stared at me.

"Alright don't get mad." He said.

"No promises." I replied.

"They commissioned us to begin the instant I got to you."

"Are you kidding?" I said. "They want us to go in the middle of the night to search fortheir god damn mercs that, not to mention, THEY lost."

"Hey I don't like it as much as you do, Leah." James replied sternly.

I didn't say anything to him as I looked blankly around the shack.

"They said if we get these guys back or at least find their bodies, they'll give us a promotion which means you can move out of this shitty shack." He said.

I looked at him in annoyance.

"Oh come on. You can't say this is better than a nice hotel at Union." He replied to my look.

My mind took a minute to guess what might happen if I don't follow my orders.

"Crap." I said. "Okay fine. But you owe me for waking me up."

"How the hell did I wake you up?" He asked.

"You just did!"


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO - **AMBUSHED

"Are you ready to go?" James asked.

"Hold on." I replied.

I seized a few of my safety supplies and additional bullets in case of emergencies.

"Alright let's go."

Before I took one step out James impeded me.

"Wait." He said.

He swung his sack roughly and opened it up.

"Here. I found this when I was scavenging one of the northern vaults. I don't know how to use it but maybe you can figure it out." He said handing me it.

I grabbed it and studied it.

"Isn't this one of those Vault-Tec Pip-Boys?" I asked.

"I'm pretty sure." He replied. "I assume its one of the industrial 3000 series. They may not look pretty but I heard that they were very durable. Try to put it on."

I've seen these on multiple advertisement billboards talking about how the Pip-Boy is the next big thing.

There were directions to put it on but to my knowledge all it required was a user. I placed the hunk of metal on my arm and in a quick second I heard the locking mechanism on it lock.

"Shit. It's locked." I said trying to pry it open.

"Oh yeah I forgot to say that the industrial ones don't come off." James said.

"Then why the hell would you tell me to try it on?" I said furiously.

James recognized he made an error.

"Calm down. I'm pretty sure there's way to get it off."

"You just said there wasn't!" I barked.

"Oh come on. There has to be a way that we don't know." He said. "Look lets not worry about it now. We need to get going. Besides maybe it could be useful."

"Bullshit," I said. "Only thing useful I'll get out of this is keeping one section of my left arm warm."

Later we manage to make excellent progress on voyage to Vault 293. So far we haven't crossways with anything precarious. Until we manage to get deeper into the woods. We be acquainted with that the Vault is a bit of a jog to get there but we were uncertain if the place has been re-habilitated by inhabitants.

I started hearing a static noise from my Pip-Boy. It had a pulsating illumination on the side.

"Uh, James. We may need to be vigilant where we tread."

"Why?"

"We may have entered a highly radiated spot." I said. "My Pip-Boy radiation levels are increasing rapidly."

James looked at me and smiled.

"See and you said we wouldn't need that thing." He says.

"Shut up." I replied.

"I don't know what would be causing this area to be tremendously radioactive." James said. "Unless…"

We got over a cliff and saw a wicked sight.

"Well… that explains why there was radiation near my shack." I said.

"How did you miss this?" James said. "Don't you ever go out of your shack?"

"Yeah but not north for this very reason. I don't trust anything near that mountain."

James looked back at the crater of radiation. Then looked around seeking for an alternative pathway.

"Well I guess we can go around." He said. "Over there."

He pointed towards a path leading around the giant radioactive pit of death. But something told me that this was a bad idea.

"If we stay on the path, we should arrive to the other side by morning." He said.

He turned to me.

"I guess ladies first is out of the question."

"Don't be a bitch." I said.

We walked down the path. The smell of burning metal hurt my head. I'm amazed that James is leading now since he's more of a follower than a leader. I wonder what suddenly changed him.

A growling noise was heard near us.

"What was that?" I asked.

We pulled up our weapons ready for an attack.

"Be silent." James said. "There could be ghouls roaming around these areas."

We had our backs to one another. The growling increased rapidly, and before we knew it, the area was surrounded by them.

"To your left!" I said.

Gun shots were fired into the few ghouls coming towards me. They dropped like flies, these were easy.

"Cover me." James said.

I pulled out my pistol and popped a few before James grabbed my arm and rushed me towards safety.

"Hurry! They're outnumbering us!" He said.

There was a building on the side of the cliff close to us that we could seek refuge.

"There! Go!" He said.

We rushed towards the entrance of the building. I shot a few in our way before we reached the door.

James started beating on it.

"Hurry!" I said.

"It's jammed." He replied. "Here help me with this!"

I hurried over to James to help with the opening of the door.

Quickly he shut the door after us.

I turned around and watched him grasp the locker next to him and slammed it transversely from the door way.

The banging on the door was frantically growing and reducing in sound as we checked ourselves for injuries.

"You okay?" I said out of breath.

"Yeah," He replied.

We both caught our breath before scouting the area. The room was musty and dark, and the smell of decomposing flesh masked the smell of the burning metal.

"So I guess we move on then?" He said. "You ready?"

I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm ready."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE - **DEATHCLAW DOWN

Scavenging time took place in the building before we headed back out. It's a hard habit to break for survivors of the fallout but it's usually a rewarding one.

"You find anything yet?" James asked.

"Nothing but rubbish. You?" I replied.

"I salvaged a couple of bottle caps. But other than that no."

I was moving to multiple areas of the rooms before nearly giving up. But then something caught my eye.

"What the?" I said to myself.

I swung my rifle across my back and pulled a few planks of wood off the thing I saw. At that moment I got a shiver down my spine when I realized what it was.

"Uh James." I said.

"Find anything?" He replied.

"You might want to take a look at this."

My ears received the sound of his approaching footsteps.

"What is it?" He asked.

He stopped in his tracks when he laid eyes on it.

"I don't think we are in ghoul territory." I said.

The thing we saw was a dead Deathclaw Alpha. The thing was massive. But we weren't afraid of this type of Deathclaw.

"Do you know what we are up against?" I said.

James said without taking his eyes off the thing.

"This is a bad sign. A very bad sign."

He turned to me.

"If this is an Alpha, then that means there is a Mother roaming these halls." He said. "We have to get out of here. If that thing catches us, this place will be our grave."

"Then we better move. We already wasted too much time." I said.

James agreed.

"Alright. I'll lead." He said. "You cover my back. If you see one, don't agro it."

He walked up to a door and turned the knob. I watched as he checked both ways before waving me to come.

"Let's do this as quietly as possible." He said.

He started walking in a crouching pose as if he were trying to stalk prey.

My finger was stuck on the trigger of my pistol. Ready for anything to come our way.

"If we get caught, we run." He said. "Our bullets won't do anything to a Mother."

I kept that in mine. But if something happens where we are cornered with no chance of survival, I'm not going down without a fight.

"Do you see anything?" James asked.

"Fortunately, no."

Sometimes I get the feeling that I'm being watched. Not by humans, but mostly by these… things. Like these Deathclaw type creatures. The type of creatures that have lost all communication to reason. I hate it as much as any other survivor.

"We need to find a way out of here." I said.

"I'm on it." James replied.

We heard snarling, growling, and screeching down the hall. It was ear-splitting enough for us to move quietly.

"Keep. Quiet." James said to me while we walked slowly past the Deathclaw.

I watched it devour its meal. It ripped arms off and flesh of the prey and like it was a chicken wing. I noticed it had hollow grey eyes. Thesemust've been blinded Deathclaws that can only track through sound.

"Look at the eyes." I whispered. "It can't see us."

"No but it can hear us. Let's just keep our distance."

The further we got deeper into the building it got real dark.

"I can't see a thing." James says. "Doesn't that Pip-Boy have light or something?"

"I don't know. I haven't used one since you glued it to me."

"Well check so we can move on." He said.

I activated the Pip-Boy and switched modes on it until I found an option for neon light. I then pressed the button.

A buzzing sound was heard as the light was activated.

"Much better." James said.

We slowly traversed across the extent avoiding all attempts of making noise. As soon as we got into the clear, another blind Deathclaw walking in front of us and stopped.

"Shh…" James said.

The thing growls and mumbled as it moved its bloodstained mouth around as if it was finishing his meal.

"What the hell do we do now?" I whispered.

James released his magazine in his gun and popped a bullet out of the magazine. He unscrewed the bullet to empty the shell. At the end of this process he was just holding the bronze bullet casing.

He arched his arm and tossed the bullet across the way. A clink was heard far from us.

The creature turned to follow the sound. When it was far-off from us, we hauled ass out of the room.

This was a very dangerous area to be caught in. Luckily James figured out the sound trick. I learn a lot from him as he learns from me. It's a weird teacher and student type of thing we have even though we're not sure who knows more.

We could see light peering through a break in the door way, which could only mean we were almost in the clear.

We walked over to the door.

"We're almost out." James spoke.

As soon as he put his hand on the door, one of the things jumped me. I smashed against the ground as it roared.

"Get this thing off me!" I barked.

Its bloody teeth stared at it me. Its left claw dug deep into my flesh. Tearing it like wax paper.

I resisted the jaws trying to chew my face off. As soon as it was far to close for comfort, James took his knife and stabbed it in the back.

It roared in agony. Its claws escaped from my flesh and it ran away without hesitation.

"Are you alright?" James asked.

I looked at my shoulder. It had marks from where it clawed me.

"A mere flesh wound," I said. "But I'll live."

James looked around for the Deathclaw.

"Why the hell did run off?" He asked.

My mind wrapped around the fact that the thing that jumped on me was a baby Deathclaw. Shit.

"I have a bad feeling we have screwed up big time." I said.

"Why would you declare that?"

Suddenly a blood curdling roar was heard throughout the building. It was the Mother.

"We need to get the hell out of here James." I said.

We bolted to the door and opened it. On the other side was a broken down satellite tower that we could use as a bridge across the crater.

"Hurry!" James said.

We started hauling ass across the bridge. I turned around to see dozens of Deathclaws sprinting towards us.

"Don't waste any ammo, it's not worth it!" James yelled in front.

We were half way across the bridge when she came.

Out of nowhere, we notice her crossing the bridge in front of us. We stopped.

"God dammit, now what?" James said.

This was our end. There was no way out of this.

I pulled out my rifle and aimed it at the Mother. I lined up the shot, focused right between her eyes.

It starts sprinting towards us like a freight train.

I knew this was not going to damage her in any way. But it was worth shooting it.

I pulled the trigger.

The bullet went right through the skull of it. I could not believe it. And I'm glad I didn't believe it, because James points behind me.

"Look!" He said.

A Vertibird was hovering over the scene. It was the Union.

They wrapped around in front of us.

"Run!" The Union announcer spoke to us.

It started gunning down the Deathclaws.

"Come on!" James said.

I kept looking back, watching them get ripped apart by 50 caliber bullets. It was a gruesome yet relieving sight.

As we made it to the other side, the guns stopped shooting and the creatures retreated back into the building.

"Clear." The announcer said.

We watched as the Vertibird flew over to our location. It dropped its grounding gear before making a hasty landing.

The door on the back opened up and Gillian walked out on the field.

"Leah?" She said. "What the hell are you doing all the way out here?"

She walked up to me and gave me a hug. It was a quick one.

"We're on a rescue assignment." James said.

She looked at James annoyed.

"Thanks for answering for her." She said before looking back at me. "Rescue mission? That seems unlike you."

"The Union wants me to go and search a vault up near Helens about a disappearing squad that Ralphie was in." I said.

"Damn, Raphie's in on it too?" She replied. "What vault did he search?"

"Vault 293,"

She scratched her head.

"Well you won't survive alone out here," She said. "Why don't you come back to Base 20 with us? It's on the way to your destination and it wouldn't be a bad idea for you get some treatment for that wound."

"That'll be fine." I said.

"Alright, get on board and we'll be there in a couple of hours or so." She said.

30 MINUTES LATER.

"Okay, that should about fix it." The nurse said as she stitched up my shoulder.

"Thank you." I replied.

She collected the scattered medical supplies before leaving me to rest. James came out of no where and sat down next to me.

He put his head up and sighed.

"Do you think this is too much for us?" I asked.

"If you want my honest opinion, I think we can manage." He said.

"We walked into a Deathclaw sanctuary." I replied. "We were lucky to make it out alive."

I rubbed my head.

"I agree with you completely. This may be a little more challenging than I anticipated, but if we keep our heads we can pull through." He said.

"I guess you're right. And when we arrive at the base we'll get some extra supplies." I said.

James nodded and focused on the seat in front of him.

"We should get some shut-eye while we have the chance." He said.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR - **BASE 20

I wake up to the sound of the pilot announcing arrival.

"Okay, we have arrived at the base." He said. "Brace for landing."

My eyes stared out the window and noticed the sun was right above us. I then looked at my Pip-Boy. It was almost one.

It's been seven hours since we've been on this mission.

I looked to my left and James was gone. Assuming he was leaving the Vertibird I unbuckled my strap and got up.

As I sauntered down the access ramp towards the outside of the base I saw Mount Saint Helens in the distance.

"Leah over here!" someone said.

I twisted to see Gillian beckoning me to join her.

As I walked over, multiple mercs and doctors hurried to their spots. I soon met up with her.

"Welcome to Base 20, it's one of the only standing Air Force bases left in this damn state." She said. "If you need anything for your assignment, like armaments, bullets, or protective covering, you can go and check on Robert. He'll supply you with what you need."

"Thanks." I said. "Hey have you seen James?"

"I believe he went to the food market." She said. "I couldn't fault him. You should go get some rations as well while you're here."

Before I left she grabbed my hand.

"Listen. If you need anything I will help you as much as I can." She said. "I also talked to James about the tasks."

I nodded without speaking.

Gillian went back to her work while I left her be.

We parted ways and I headed down the strip of quarters and shacks of the garrison. Off in the distance was the hanger for where, I believe, they kept there air mediums. If we could get some one to take us to the vault in one of these we may be able to get there facing dinner. And I am not asking Gillian for that.

I made my way to the munitions store where Gillian said Robert would subsist.

The doors involuntarily opened to the munitions store and inside were two guys chatting.

"Look, you either take the damn gun for the price I'm selling it for, or get out." Robert said.

The other guy gave him the bird before walking away.

"Asshole." Robert said.

He saw me.

"You must be Leah; Gillian said you would be stopping by." He said. "How may I help you?"

"What do you have?" I asked.

He pressed a button beneath the counter and following were numerous styles of weaponry.

"I've got a variety of deadly paraphernalia to get anything completed. From small round handguns to devastating energy weapons." He said. "What do you yearn for?"

"I'm on route Vault 293. It's a rescue mission." I said. "I need something that will get me and my friend in and out breathing."

He smiled and shook a finger.

"I think I got the material for you." He said.

He went around back and came out with cart full of preliminary equipment. He set each member on the table.

"Here's a customary edition Laser rifle with a Tri-beam compensator and Holographic spectacle for precision." He said. "I also got a few plasma grenades as well as a couple of buckskin armor sets."

"How much is it?" I asked.

"If you were a wastelander, about 3100 caps, but since it was applied previously for you mission, it's on the house." He said. "Of course you have to buy ammunition. That's kind of hard to come by."

"Thanks." I said taking the equipment. "I'll be sure to bring them back."

"So need." He said. "Think of it as a bargain-basement-priced purchase."

I revisit the courtyard and made my way towards the refectory bunkers. I'm not typically used to being in Union controlled areas; this is usually because I'm a freelancer. But something tells me that I need to take a little initiative here. I need a vertibird.

I stopped in the middle of the cafeteria and scanned the vicinity for James. Not being present for a minute, a guy walks up to me.

"Excuse me ma'am." He started. "You either have to get some food or leave. Not to be rude but we have a strict regulation on loiterers"

Something tells me he wasn't joking.

"Okay." I replied.

After I got myself something uncomplicated from the victuals line, I spotted James afar.

The stench of the squirrel on my platter played tricks on my nose as I walked down to the table. I have an aversion to squirrel meat. But the fact that I had the selection between dog, molerat, and mirelurk meat, I'd rather keep my lunch down while I ate.

I sat down across from James in an effort to keep eye contact while we ate.

"I got the equipment we need." I said cutting the meat.

"Mm hm." He replied.

I have to tell him about the vertibird.

"So take note," I started. "Due to definite, circumstances, we don't have endorsed admission to one of their birds."

I watched as James took a swig of his canteen.

"Really?" He asked. "We need one to take us up the mountain, and with the whiteout covering the apex."

"Yeah I know." I said.

"So now what?" He asked.

I can't believe I'm saying this.

"I think we have to steal one."

James continued to eat without uttering a sound. I haven't even touched my food. I wasn't even in the mood to eat.

"Didn't you hear me?" I said.

"Oh I heard you just fine." He said. "But I don't like it."

"Then what do you suppose we do?" I asked.

He wiped his mouth.

"For one thing," He started. "We need to think about this. Plan our moves prior to heading up the mountain. If we get caught in that blizzard we're done for."

I let him continue.

"So, what I'm suggesting is that we ask Gillian for a ride." He said. "By the way have you even asked about the favor from the pilots?"

"First of all James, you and I both know that the pilots don't to take personal commissioned trips to any destination. It's against the policy." I started. "And hell no, I can't ask her for more.

"Don't you remember what she said? She said that if you need any assistance she will be enthusiastic to help us." He replied.

I scratched my head in aggravation.

"Look, I know you two have had a shit load of history together that made you abhorrence for each other, but look what's she has done for you." James said. "And also remember, she's your sister."

I thought hard on that saying. Unfortunately I was oblivious to the significance behind it.

"I don't give a damn if she's my sister." I said. "I'm not asking her for that type of support."

James and I sat inaudibly for a while. I then got up and headed to the cabins where I could rest up.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE - **REMINISCING

I slept for 17 hours straight that night at Base 20. I never thought I would get sleep again.

I woke up from the sound of knocking at my door. My body moves from the bed to the door in a sluggish motion.

The door open and Gillian was standing there.

"Gillian?" I started. "What are you doing here?"

"Just came to hello," She said. "Wanted to see how you were feeling."

"Well I'm doing just fine, thank you." I said.

I walked over to my bed and sat down.

Gillian's face gave a vague look. I knew what was coming next.

"What's your deal?" She asked me blatantly. "Ever since you've came to the base you've been acting weird. What's up?"

I turned away after she spoke. My memories didn't set in until this moment. I saw revelations that day she decided what was worth saving. Me or that… kid.

"I've… I've just been very tired and worn from battle." I said.

"You slept for nearly 15 hours." She said. "You're probably feeling distraught about something."

She walked over to me and sat down next to the bed.

"Tell me." She said.

I couldn't oppose telling her how I felt about that day. About that adolescent.

"Do you remember that day you chose me over that kid?" I said.

She gave a perplexed look.

"Pardon?" She asked.

"That kid. Remember the one we found stranded in the wasteland asking if we could spare a few caps?" I explained.

"Shit, Leah." She said. "Why the hell would you bring that up?"

I looked her dead in the eye.

"You asked me what's up! What the hell did you wish for me to say?"

She closed her eyes and took a deep inhalation.

"Okay, okay." She said. "I'm sorry."

I calmed down knowing she was enthusiastic to speak about this.

She took my hand and held it tightly before speaking.

"That young boy we saw. Begging for caps." She started. "He was no where near vital than my little sister is."

I let her continue.

"I think about this everyday as well." She continued. "I will never exonerate myself for putting down that kid."

"I just can't comprehend why we didn't bring him to one of these garrisons for medical management." I said.

She squeezed my hand telling me she was thinking hard on the answer.

"The abrasions were too brutal to fix. The kid was already a vegetable the instant the thing got him." She explained.

A tear rolled down my cheek before rasping another sentence.

"It should have been me. I was the reason why it attacked." I said. "You saved a 21 year old versus a near 9 year old who had so much more to live for."

"I know. But if you could understand what I would have gone through if my little sister died in front of me. The last descendants of the Washington family." She said. "I wouldn't have survived the depression."

I looked down and thought hard on that. It was a very, very tough thing to forgive. And even if I could forgive her, I would have to forgive myself first.

She saw the memories rewinding in my head through my facial expressions.

"I'll go get the Vertibird ready." She said. "I leave you in peace."

Without another word from either of us, she walked out of the room.

She never hugged me once the entire time. Honestly I never would have expected a hug from her during a heartbreaking moment. She told me once, that the reason she hugs if for reunion purposes. Not ever for comforting purposes. She instead holds the closest hand to her and squeezes to present that she suffers the same pain the person feels. I never alleged her until today.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX - **DEAD WEIGHT

The sounds of the helicopter blades spiraling were heard as I unbolted the door to the hanger. I saw Gillian boarding the Vertibird as well as James hauling some weights up.

I was prepared to approach the frostbite encounters upon arriving to Mount Saint Helens. After the bombs dropped, nuclear winter approached. It covered the majority the United States. However the states near Mexico and the Atlantic have been alleviated of the extreme cold. People in the northern states near Canada depend on warmth to survive. Luckily in my location, the mountain took the damage.

"Departing in ten!" The pilot announced to us.

James watched as I pulled the final weight on board.

"What's with all the weights anyway?" I asked James.

"Gillian told us that the storm we'll be approaching has a tendency to alter wind direction." He said. "Well need these weights to keep the helicopter balanced during these changes."

As we hooked the weight to the ground the helicopter I glance at James.

"Why did you go behind my back?" I said.

"It's called taking initiative." He said. "I know you told me not to but we need to get to that vault. You'll thank me later."

He sat down at the benches.

I took a glance out the window as I parked myself down next to him. I hope this mission goes as plan. I really wish people didn't do that to me.

After we departed from the base, about 10 minutes later Gillian, James along with me was waiting for our destination.

"So what is the plan when we get there?" James asked.

"To be frank, I think we should take in what we may encounter when we get to the vault." I said. "We should expect the worst."

"I agree." Gillian said. "If anything, I think Ralphie and his squad couldn't have made it."

"Now just wait a second. We don't know that for sure." James said. "I think we should expect the best. After all they are one of the elite forces."

"Let's just agree that the truth will be revealed when we get there." Gillian said.

The pilot's intercom activated.

"We are entering the blizzard passengers. Prep your stations." He said.

Gillian turned back to us.

"Well you heard him." She said.

We all unbuckled and moved over to the weight deployment stations. James, Gillian and I all grabbed hold of the weight and moved it over to the back of the helicopter.

"Wait until the light turns green, then we haul this thing off the helicopter." Gillian said.

"Alright the speed changed, wait until green." The pilot said.

After three seconds of hearing the pilot, the light on the back of the door turned green and the door opened.

"Go, go, go!" James said.

We pushed the weight off the helicopter and watched it plunge into the mountain. The place recalibrated.

"Restabilizing…" the pilot says. "We're good!"

All three of us stayed near the other two weights incase of recalibration is needed.

"This is a dangerous road my friends." The pilot says. "Are you sure this is worth it?"

"We're almost there." I said.

The place started swerving.

"Wait until green then go." The pilot announced.

We waited until the light turned green. James unlocked the straps holding the weight in place before positioning for the drop.

The light turned green.

"Go now!" Gillian said.

We pushed the weight off the helicopter.

"Hold…" The pilot said. "Alright we're good. We are almost out of the blizzard, just hang on to something."

We waited for our signals to prep the last weight. So far everything is going to plan.

"The last shift of winds are approaching! Check yourselves and prepare for drop." The pilot announced.

We all unlatched the straps on the last one before moving it to the drop zone.

"Wait." The pilot said.

We watched the light turn to green.

"Alright go, go, go!" He said.

We shoved the weight over the side expecting for the thing to recalibrate. But instead, we ran into an issue.

"Shit! The thing is snagged on!" James said.

The vertibird tilted harshly flinging us back against the wall. Another tilt to the opposing side caused us to be flung again.

"The thing won't recalibrate!" The pilot says.

A harsh turn knocked me out of the helicopter. I grabbed a hold of the weight that was snagged onto the door.

"Leah!" Gillian yelled to me.

I couldn't hold on much longer.

The blizzard would tear the vertibird to shreds if this weight does get loose. I had to do this.

I climbed the weight until I reached the strap.

"Come Leah! Climb!" Gillian said.

I knew I couldn't climb this thing. And there would not be a chance of survival if thing was stuck to the door.

I pulled out my knife and motioned it towards the strap.

"Leah what are you doing?" Gillian barked.

I looked up at her.

"Saving your ass." I said.

One quick jerk of the arm I broke the strap and the weight and I plummeted to the side of the mountain. My ears heard a faint yell!

"Leah!" Gillian yelled.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN - **LEFT BEHIND

My skin was… cold. Like frostbite cold. So cold…

My head hurt so much. The sound of whistling wind and howling of the mountain echoes was the only thing my ears were receiving. I could not believe I'm alive after that.

I tried to get up but my body collapsed back into the soft snow. My hands discovered a wound on my abdomen as well as my blade. I looked down to see the damage. It wasn't good. I needed to seek shelter quickly before my body goes into shock.

My hands clutched the handle the knife before struggling to break it from my side.

"Aagh!" I screamed.

It tore from me leaving unbearable pain.

I inched my way up to where I was standing on my feet. Knees weakening with every footstep I took. It made it nearly impossible to walk normal.

No weapons, no survival kits. I was walking in a nuclear winter blizzard with just the clothes on my back and a knife. This was definitely an opportunity to demonstrate my survival skills.

In the distance I saw a few lights. I believed it could be another base of the Union. But something was odd. Why would there be a Union base all the way up here?

I saw a rather large green and red flag flapping in the wind.

It wasn't a Union base. It was a raider encampment. And it was huge.

"Shit." I said.

How the hell am I going to get past this with no weapons? I would go around this camp if there was a way but the camp is stretched across the valley.

As I made my way towards the base camp I noticed that there were no guards roaming the outer limits of the camp. I wouldn't blame them not wanting to be out in the blizzard. Nobody could endure this. I don't even think I could.

There were multiple buildings around this that will provide me with plenty of cover.

All I need to do is get some morphine and some bandages and I'll be going. I have no reason to alarm anyone.

My injury was starting to throb. I've been through worse though. Unfortunately I had some medical assistance. Then but this time, I had none.

I slowly crawled my way around to one shack that had a window. I reached up and grabbed a hold of the window sill and pulled up. Ipeeked in to make sure I was going to fall into a raider homecoming party.

It was clear which gave me the impression that this was going to be a walk in the park. Unfortunately I was wrong as I heard commotion in other shacks.

At least I was out of that blizzard. But I can't stay here for too long as I will expect some to come in.

I snuck to the door that entered the halls. I looked both ways to make sure none were down here. I then checked each door as I walked down the hallway to the one opened door at the end.

This is one hell of a journey to a goddamn vault. First we get attacked by ghouls. Then deathclaws. We go to Base 20. We take a vertibird into a blizzard that launched me out the back. And now I'm trying to survive in a raider infested camp in the middle of the blizzard with no weapons and gash on my stomach. Great.

With no idea where the hell I'm going, I decide to peek into the open door way. Music was playing, probably from a radio, in the room.

There was guy leaning back in a chair humming to beat. I spotted a medical unit on the wall under the desk he was at.

There was no way around this. I can't just knock him out and risk him waking up later to alert the other raiders. I have to kill him. Quietly of course.

I approached him slowly. I took out my knife and prepped for the attack.

With one swift action I pulled him backwards off the chair and covered his mouth so the others don't hear. He struggled to break free but I slit his neck with one flick of the arm.

His body was motionless now.

I kept saying to myself that if something is threatening it shouldn't be alive. This was a saying that Gillian told me because the first time she killed something in front of me was a rabid dog. I asked her why she killed it and she said that line.

Before I moved on I hid the body under the desk with a few boxes blocking it. I grabbed the gun out from his body and stood up. I saw the medical kit and opened it to expect something of use. But sadly I found nothing but empty syringes.

"Dammit!" I said tossing the medical supplies to the ground.

I need to keep looking. If I'm going make it out of this blizzard, I need to keep this wound from getting infected.

I opened the door to the outside and started walking out. I noticed a picture on one of the shacks in the distance. It had a Hermes symbol of medical engineering on it.

"Bingo." I said.

It was just across the way. If I am quick, I can use the blizzard as a simple cloaking mechanism. They won't be able to spot me.

As I made my way down the snowy path, my Pip-boy flashed. I looked down at it. It started telling me that I starting to weaken. The gash in my side was getting frostbite.

I quickly sprinted across the field surprisingly not getting caught. The medical center was just around the corner. If I could just get to that building I'll hopefully be able to get patched up.

A few minutes later I made my way into the medical building. The smell of decomposing flesh and smoke filled my nostrils. The gash in my side throbbed with pain. I needed to fix this before it gets even worse.

I was slowly creeping down the hall trying desperately not to make a sound. I'm a tough girl my sister says to me. I don't believe her when she tells me stuff like that. Not that it's not true but that I don't think I can bare the fact that I'm literally dying right now. My limbs will weaken; tunnel vision will set in then poof. My life will end in a raider camp and my body will either be fed to the dogs or raped by these sick bastards. I'm not going to let that happen.

With the rest of my energy I moved towards the room with the large words saying EMERGENCY. My Pip-Boy beeped again, this time to read that my blood pressure was beginning to drop.

"Just hold on a little longer, Leah. " I whispered to myself.

In the emergency room I found a few medical supplies behind the desk in plastic containers. All I need is a few Stimpacks and I'll be set.

I started rooting through the containers and found nothing of use.

"Shit!" I said.

Why don't these guys have anything useful? Before I gave up hope I found it. A single morphine shot that will reduce the pain of the gash.

"This should help with the pain," I said as I took my leg to inject it.

I used the knife to cut open the pant leg and expose the skin. With my mouth I grabbed the plastic piece off the needle end and prepared to inject it. I counted to three and in one quick motion I jabbed the needle into my leg. The pain of the needle sparked in my head. But with a quick reaction to the drug my body soon started to get calmed. The wound started not to hurt and my headache was soothing.

This won't stop the bleeding so I ripped off a long piece of my jacket and wrapped it around the wound. I should have done that earlier but I was more focused on getting the medical equipment. As I did that I took a moment to realize that I don't have a plan to get out of this mountain range. I thought for a second on a conclusion. Unfortunately all I could come up with is to travel higher on the mountain to escape the blizzard. The only reason why there is a blizzard here in because this camp in located in a valley, and if I get higher the blizzard will pass directly under me.

Alright, I've been here way to long and I need to leave fast. I thought I was in the clear but then this happens…

I turned my body to walk out but I came face to face with one of the raiders.

"Hey looks like we have a trespasser." He said.

He seized my arm.

I tried to get away from his grasp but he twisted my arm around my back where I couldn't utilize all of my strength.

"Hey, hey what are you struggling for? I'm trying to get to know you." He said slamming my head down against the desk. This was not going to end well.

"Agh!" I said as he twisted my arm further to where it started to hurt. I knew what he was going to do. After the head slam on the desk and the 'Just wanna get to know you' saying, it was clear he was looking to have some fun with me before brutally murdering me.

His version of fun was my version of rape.

"Don't struggle now." He said as he put his face up against my head. "Mm you smell nice."

Unfortunately for him I had a knife ready. If I could get my hands free I could get a clear shot into his neck. But the only way I could get that chance is if I earn his trust. Unfortunately in this situation, I have to provoke his needs without having my body getting violated.

"You do like to take your time now don't you?" I said in a sensual voice. I've learned stuff like this from my sister. She says the way to weaken a man is through sexual appeal.

"It seems like you've opened up girly." The raider said. "If you cooperate I may just spare your life by not using your head as target practice."

"Well." I said. "What are you waiting for?" I said. It's sickening to do this stuff but I would rather get this over with, without fighting it. It's an interesting tactic to say the least, but it's a good one to prevent rape.

I leaned on the desk with my stomach on the surface of it and my back arched in way that lets him know to his knowledge that I'm "inviting" him.

To be honest, I had no clue if this was going to work. My body was shaking but the morphine was soothing me. It was a weird combination of fear and calm.

I felt his hand move off of my arm but replacing it in his other arm to where both of my hands were placed in just one of his hands. This is exactly how I wanted this to go. But know that I've got to be VERY careful not to rush the attack on him. I have to get to the point where he starts to remove his own clothing. Once that happens he'll be too distracted to protect himself.

My body shivered as I felt his hand move up my leg. I hate this so much. His hand continued to move up my leg which connected towards my stomach. He stopped when he rest his hand on my left breast. Okay this has gone too far.

"Why don't you use that hand for something a little more interesting?" I said hoping that would get him to motion towards his pants.

I felt his hand move away from me. This was my chance. I located the knife on me. Okay it was on my right side of my body, as soon as I hear an indication of him displaying himself; I will drive that knife into the bastard.

When I heard it, it was time for killing.

I quickly removed my left arm from his grasp and snatched the knife out of my holster. All in one quick motion I drove the knife into his shoulder unfortunately. Of course it didn't kill, that would have been too easy. But it did give me a chance to break free of his grasp.

"Ah! You bitch!" He said.

I quickly ran out of the room as swiftly as possible. I knew this was a battle now because as soon as I scurried out of the building I heard alarms go off.

"Attention. There is an intruder on raider ground. Do not maim her. Kill that bitch!" The announcer said on the speakers.

"Dammit!" I said rushing out across the field. I do not aim for a longer interaction with this camp. This is where I just run.

I manage to pull through. They didn't even have an opportunity to gun down my ass. But I can't stop here. I could hear their dogs barking and the raiders commanding them. Luckily the blizzard blocked their sights and allowed me to get away.

My Pip-boy was flashing and beeping. I looked down and it read that my blood pressure has dropped tremendously and that my heart rate was low. I was not going to die now I needed to keep going.

I tried to keep going for hours. My body was so weak that I just collapsed in the snow. I looked up to see miles of blankets of snow. Painful tears rolled down my face as a black figure started to approach me. But I passed out before I could see what it was.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT - **NEW HELENS

"No… no…" I started saying. "Agh!"

I sprung up from a deep sleep. My head exploded with pain as I grabbed it.

"Ugh!" I said.

I opened my eyes to see that I was in a shack.

"You talk when you sleep."

I turned to my left to see a man sitting on his chair. He was holding a guitar.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"New Helens." He says as he tuned his guitar. "You've been asleep for three days."

I looked astonished by the answer. I then looked down to see that I had no clothes on.

I covered myself and asked the obvious question.

"Where are my clothes?"

He continued to test his guitar.

"You mean the clothes that were tattered and bloodstained?" He said. "We got rid of those. But we kept your gear."

"You don't have any other clothes?" I asked.

"We do." He says.

I looked annoyed.

"Then why the hell am I naked!" I growled.

He laughs.

"You were placed in tat bed just about an hour ago. We were cleansing that wound of yours." He said.

I don't know if feel more violated that some random guy has seen me naked or that raider tried to rape me.

"So you saw me naked?" I asked stupidly.

"Yes." He said STILL tuning his guitar. "So?"

Did he really just ask "so"?

"If you feel embarrassed because you were seen naked by one person, don't be." He said. "Because this is done to multiple people that go into a coma."

I guess I can't argue with that.

"We already ordered some clothes for our supply shop down the street. I'll go check and see if its ready." He said. "I would highly recommend staying put."

I was still in shock that I was alive. How did he find me? Where exactly am I located? These questions need to be answered soon.

My body moved over a little to get more comfortable but I felt a stabbing pain in my side. My eyes found out the stitched wound.

I tried to get up though the pain was neutral all the way until I was standing on my feet. Still feeling that people shouldn't see me naked I covered my self with the blanket that was on the bed.

I walked around the room looking at items on the desk. There were bullets, knives, and map of the Saint Helens area. It showed all the land around the mountain. All the bases and all the raider areas.

I then developed a revelation. The raider camp that I was at was literally right next to this place. I began to analyze it more but the guy came back with the clothes.

"I hope you like flannel." He says.

He handed them to me.

I grabbed the clothes and looked at him telling him that privacy was a concern.

"Oh sorry…" He said sarcastically.

I expected him to leave but instead he just turned around. I wasn't even going to argue about this. I dropped the blanket and started applying the soft flannel shirts to my cleansed body.

I felt that it was good time to starting asking questions.

"This map. It shows our current location correct?" I asked.

I'm not sure if he turned to see what map but if he did I was far from giving a shit now.

"If you're talking about the one on the desk; that shows all of the Saint Helen landmarks." He stated. "From raiders to vaults to towns like us."

He then said something else.

"I know who you are and what you're here for." He said.

I turned around as I put on my pants.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

I tried to get the jacket on but the zipper was stuck.

He must have heard the struggle I was having because he turned around to help.

As he unstuck the zipper he said to me.

"Because your sister is here."

My eyes opened.

"Where is she? Is she okay?" I asked.

"Yes she is just fine. She's in the house down the way." He said. "Here I'll take you to her."

He walked towards the door and waited for me. I grabbed shoes on the way out.

We ventured down the stone stairs towards the dirt road where people walked back and forth to there destinations.

"By the way my name is Werner." He says. "And you're name is Leah right?"

"Yeah." I said.

We continued to walk along the path. The scenery of the mountain was amazing. I had to ask.

"What kept this place in good condition?" I asked.

"Time and preparation." He said. "Well that's what I was told. I was born here. I lived here all my life, not once venturing out of the mountain."

"You've never been anywhere else?"

"There's no need. New Helens has everything anyone could ask for. No one has a need to leave." He said.

"So no one leaves? Not even to gather supplies?"

"Nope." He says.

I was intrigued by this conversation. But I was more intrigued on how he found me.

"I want to know one question," I started. "How did you guys find me?"

"Hmm?" He asked. "What was that?"

I started to speak again but our conversation ended when we got to the house my sister was in.

We opened the door revealing her on the bed with a nurse. She nearly teared up when she saw me walking through the door alive.

"Leah!" She said removing the nurse from here space.

She got up and squeezed me. I didn't expect her to do this. Hell I never even knew she had the feelings of doing this.

"I thought you were dead." She says to me.

I thought the same about her.

"Where's James?" I asked.

She looked at me.

"I don't know." She said. "I haven't seen him since the event."

I was confused at the question.

"The event?" I asked.

"After you cut the weight off of the helicopter a white flash encased us. I don't remember anything." She explains.

The nurse spoke up.

"She suffers from Cerebrum static, which is technically amnesia." She says.

"Do you think that you blacked out?" I asked.

"Possibly. But the people here said that I was piloting the helicopter after the pilot got shot."

The words coming out of her mouth was hard to believe. But I have to listen to the rest of her story in order to decide whether or not it's true.

"Do you believe it?" I ask.

"I don't know. I don't remember it ever happening."

The nurse and Werner walked out of the building to let me and Gillian talk. But before we could speak again a few men barged in to the room.

"Gillian Washington. You are under arrest for murder of Pilot Sergeant Dallas." One of the men said.

We both turned to the men.

"What!" She said.

"By order of the Union you are to be tamed and put under high security." He says.

"Wait! There is no way she would do this!" I said.

The man then looked at me.

"You are also under arrest for illegal use of command mission without consulting with administration officers." He said.

What the hell are they talking about? Illegal command mission?

He grabbed my arms and handcuffed them. He then threw me to the ground. They did the same to Gillian as well. We were framed. Someone framed us for this and they are going to pay for it.

Gillian and I are placed next to each other in the ground as the three men contacted the Union HQ for reliable prison transport.

We didn't say a word the entire time they talked. I can't believe this, why would someone frame us? Murder, unauthorized missions, what else are we framed for?

The three men finished up there talking before telling us what's going on.

"Carlos, keep an eye on these two." He said.

He then looked at me.

"You'll need a damn good lawyer to save your asses."

Gillian looked at him.

"Fuck you." She said.

He stood up and signaled the second guy to follow him out. Carlos then stood in front of the door once they left.

I thought to myself if what I'm doing is false commanding. That if this Vault was even the death of Ralphie. I will find out soon. But first, I need to get out of here and find James.

Minutes that seemed like hours slowly crawled its way by. I looked a Gillian. She was signaling with her eyes. I could read what she was displaying. Until I followed the invisible line that connected her eyes to a pair of scissors on the table next to me.

"You want me to kill him?" I mouthed.

She faintly shook her head no. She then looked at my wrists.

I got what she wanted me to do. Cut the wire activating the locking mechanism on the handcuffs. Smart move.

But the real question is, is how the hell am I going to get them with him watching us.

It was my turn to think of a plan. I needed to get him to turn away. My eyes turned to Gillian and mouthed;

"Ask him for water."

She took my words perfectly and nodded.

She spoke up.

"Excuse me. I need some water."

Carlos looked at her.

"To bad." He said.

She didn't give up.

"The nurse told me to keep drinking fluids to keep my system from going into shock." She said. "And If I go into shock I would not be able to be held up for trial."

She was good. But was it enough to convince him? Of course not.

"Look I'm not supposed to let you out of my sight." He said.

"The water is right there. You'll still be able to see us." She said. "Besides we're handcuffed so why would we try anything?"

I could tell that Carlos was thinking because he had a distinguished look on his face.

"Alright. But don't try anything." He said.

He walked over to the table adjacent towards my direction. He had a two second blind spot which gave me a chance. I slowly stood up towards the table and snatched the scissors off it. He didn't even see it.

Gillian smiled for my accomplishment.

I moved the scissors towards the handcuffs. I felt around for the big wire connecting both cuffs to lock. Fortunately I found it and luckily enough the scissors cut right through it.

Carlos took the water back to Gillian.

He fed the water to Gillian.

Gillian swished the water back and forth in her mouth before spraying him in the face with it.

Carlos punched her in the gut causing her to grunt.

He then wiped his face before turning around to go back to his position.

As he turned his back to walk to the door Gillian quickly glanced at me and the scissors prepped in my hands.

She nodded.

I tossed the scissors towards her and watched it landed into her hands. Perfect shot.

Carlos leaned up against the door and watched us. The subtle movement of Gillian's hands maneuvering the scissors around gave me the hint that she had freed herself.

She then looked at me faintly mouthing;

"Provoke him."

I guessed what she wanted and looked at Carlos.

"Hey asshole." I started. "Why is it taking so long for your guys to get back?"

He ignored my question which means it's time to take physical actions.

I stood up and walked towards him.

"Sit down!" He said pushing me back.

He got up in my face before speaking.

"I will not be harassed by a piece of shit like you. You just sit there and behave before I…"

He didn't get to finish his sentence as Gillian shoved the scissors in the back of his neck killing him instantly.

She jerked the instrument out of him.

"We need to get out of here." She said. "Take any supplies you need before we head out."

I grabbed her arm.

"Gillian, what about James?" I said.

"We'll find him. But first we should leave before the two guys come back." She says. "Here grab his legs. We're going to hide the body."

I did as she asked and took Carlos's legs.

She grabbed one of the body bags sitting in the kitchen and covered him in it. This won't be suspicious at all.

"Alright now let's move out." She said.

I watched as she opened the door and looked out to see if anyone was watching.

She signaled me an expression.

"Okay, I think we're good." She said.

We quickly grabbed the body and hauled ass down the back alley way. I looked around to see that no one spotted us.

She grabbed the body by the shoulders and told me to latch the legs up. She analyzed the area and found that the only way to get rid of the body was to throw it over the cliff.

"Alright we'll have to throw it over." She said. "On three we release him."

I nodded.

"One… two,., three!" She counted.

On three we released it. I watched as it tumbled down the steep slope smacking against rocks. It was a terrible sight.

I walked back and fell on my ass before discussing with what I just participated in.

"What are we going to do?" I asked. "We've killed one of our members!"

Gillian turned to me.

"Stop." She said. "You know that I didn't kill that pilot. And from what the Union knows we didn't kill Carlos."

I shook my head.

"We were framed. If we were captured by the Union you and I would have had no back up in the honors system. We both would have been pledged guilty and put up for execution." She continued. "The Union is not on our side anymore. We are on our own."

I nodded in response to her explanation.

"But what about James?" I asked.

"We'll find him and leave." She said.

My mind raced and my body trembled. I've never experienced this type of PTSD in my life. But it was a ride to hell.

"Come on we can't stay here." Gillian said helping me up.

When I stood up, she was already ahead of me.

"I don't think anyone had noticed us." She said. "Just act natural and follow my lead."

We paced into the middle of the busy road. It was like a Yemen bazaar as there was no visual of the end of the road.

This place is so abnormal. Why is so populated?

As we maneuvered through the crowd I kept looking back to make sure we weren't being followed. Luckily we weren't but what did frighten me was the fact that Gillian and I were snatched out of the crowd by a couple of people.

There hands were over our mouth and we dragged into a garage. We were released and soon realized were actually saved from being spotted.

"What happened?" Werner said.

I spoke first.

"We need to leave right now." I said. "The Union is after us and it's all because of me."

Gillian looked at me.

I noticed her stare and created a visual connection between us.

"I should have never brought you into this." I said. "I'm sorry."

Right before she tried to say something Werner spoke up.

"We know this." He said. "We know something that apparently you are unaware of."

We tuned to him.

"What do you mean?" Gillian said concerned.

"Your friend, James. HE betrayed you." He started.

We all got a puzzled look on our faces.

"He has been using you to get to this vault." He said.

"Why would he do this?" I asked.

"That vault doesn't have your Union mercs in it. It's still inhabited. If you want to know the real reason why New Helens is so populated then there's the reason. It's because Mount Saint Helens is the closest place we'll be to heaven until judgment day." He explained.

"But why would he be using us to get to a vault that populates this town?" Gillian asked.

"Honestly if I told you, you wouldn't believe me." He said. "The reason he is doing this is because inside of that vault there are secrets that are not to be unraveled by humans. Only certain anomalies can reveal the secrets."

"What?" Gillian asked.

"He's talking about spirits." Marian said. "These spirits are like our holy grail. Our new founded world that shelters us from the apocalypse. But, if the spirits controlled in that vault were let out, certain events would spawn."

"So is he able to?" I ask.

"Yes! If any outsider is able to make it this far he could kill us all by opening the Vault. People have been trying to get to this vault ever since the bombs dropped. The blizzard down there is not really a blizzard." He starts. "It's actually the spirits blowing down the mountain to prevent scavengers or raiders from making it this far."

This was a lot to take in. I don't know if believe him though. Spirits really?

"Where is James now?" Gillian asked.

Werner pointed up the trail.

"He booked it yesterday." He said.

"Shit. We'll never catch him in time." I said.

Werner's wife laughed.

"Not on foot of course." She said. "The idiot thought traversing the trail on foot was a good idea."

She walked over to a large object covered by a hard, tan tarp. She grabbed one end of it and yanked it revealing a car.

"You can use this to get to him." She said.

"We've rigged this car to traverse up the mountain with off- road impact resistors. You should reach the vault in about thirty minutes if you leave now." Werner said.

Gillian looked at me then at them.

"We'll, let's not waste time then." She said.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE - **PAYBACK

The treacherous journey to Vault 293 was nearing the end. Fortunately for us we now know the true reason for James manipulating us. And with that knowledge, we can stop him in his tracks.

"Just a few more turns ahead and we should be at the vault," Gillian says.

My mind was still fuzzy. About James, the blizzard… Werner. How do these things connect?

"Have you ever been to a vault like this?" I asked looking at the vault as we drove up.

"To be honest, I've never actually been to one in person." She said as she glanced at me.

I stared at her in confusion.

"Yeah, I know." She said.

We saw James.

"Over there!" I said pointing to him.

We rushed towards James but we stopped halfway when we heard chanting.

"It's over James!" I said. "We know Ralphie's not here!"

With out turning James said.

"This is not the end my friend Leah. This is a new beginning!"

"What are you talking about?" I said.

He turned to face us. His eyes were golden yellow.

"The Vault is the key to a new life. A key that will open the gateways to the sanctuary!" He said.

The howling of the winds on top of the mountain was causing hearing impairment for me. I had to get closer.

"Do you realize that you're going to get us all killed?" I yelled.

"Killed and reborn in a new era of humans. We won't have to suffer the days of the apocalypse. To survive off of the radiated lands of what's left of America." He explained. "Our children will grow up in a new system of eternal life and be praised upon the spirits."

What is going on? Either James has been possessed by some fourth world demon or he has gone completely mad. But when it comes down to a logical conclusion, he needs to be dealt with.

"James you need to stop!" I said. "You're making a huge mistake."

He laughed maniacally.

"Oh Leah. You are also the funny one. Humoring me with your jokes." He says.

He turns to the three people standing behind him.

These were the same guys that tried to arrest us at New Helens. Even Carlos.

"What the hell." Gillian said.

"You see, the Vault brings people back to life of our choosing." James says. "You just have to be wise with your wish."

This is impossible! Werner was right; whatever is in that Vault that is able to conquer such a feat James or anyone should not have it.

"But you know Leah, you can't stop the power of the Gaidas." He says. "So let's make this easy for you and your sister. Join the Gaidas."

"Screw you James." I said. "If you think that there was a possibility of us joining your cult you should rethink that."

He and the three other guys started laughing.

"Well I tried to make it easy on you." He said. "But I guess I won't have a choice but to kill you."

The three guys vanished into thin air. Things were about to get real ugly.

Will a quick instant as James started to talk, we watched the unbelievable happen. He created duplicates of himself all around us.

This was unreal. These, spirits or Gaidas are causing him to do this only means that we have yet to understand the full potential of these vaults.

"You know you can't stop the Gaidas Leah. You just have to accept your fate."

James's voice was getting a mere echo and multiple tones of it were overlapping each other creating an ear piercing sound.

"Gillian let's do this." I said as I turned to her. "Gillian?"

She was gone.

"You don't have the power to defeat the Gaidas" James said. "And without Gillian, you have no strength."

"What did you do with her?" I barked. "Where is she?"

"Only time will tell dear Leah." He said. "Only time will tell."

I pulled out my rifle and started firing at the clones of James. They only took one bullet to my knowledge since they dropped like flies.

This was insane. The wind started to pick up making the moment ever so epic and terrifying. My gun started to run low on ammo which on meant one thing… I had to find the real James and end this.

I expected James to be at the very back protecting the vault as well as allowing his pawn of clones take most of the beating. It would make the most sense.

Ignoring all the other clones as I raced towards the vault hoping he was there.

"Gaidas reach out to us!" I heard James chant. "Let these humans fall before you and rise up in your honor!"

I saw James. The vault was opening and I was in the middle of the catastrophe. It was like a tornado blowing me back. Preventing me from getting to James.

"Allow us to enter your realm and begin anew!" He continued.

"James!" I said. "Stop!"

Werner said to kill him at all costs. If he releases the spirits of Gaidas our world will be consumed by his darkness.

"Gaidas be free of this chamber and enter the new world!" He yelled.

Rumbling started on the mountain and the vault door started to spurt out spirits. This ends now!

I was now right behind James. I'm so sorry.

"I'm sorry James!" I yelled at him.

I aimed the gun at his head.

"Gaidas be free! Be free!" He said.

I pulled the trigger. James dropped to into the snow with a silent thud. I killed my friend to save us. But this wasn't over. I had to close the vault before Gaidas came out.

My adrenaline rush helped me through the wind and forces of the spirits. The control panel for the controls of the vault is right there. I had to get it.

"Free!" The spirits whispered. "Set us free!"

My ears began to pound with every step I took. My body felt like it was being dragged away by these things. The demonic entities or spirits are trying to prevent me from closing the gates on them.

"Don't leave us." They whispered. "Never go."

With a foot and half away from the control panel I reached towards it and placed my hand on the level and yanked it down.

"You will regret the day you prevented Gaidas's uprising!" They screamed.

Everything became bright. The screams of fear and pain were sucked back into the vault.

"No!" They screamed.

Without another word the vault shut and a crack of silence fell over me. The wind was gone. My eyes opened to see that I have won. I don't know what this all meant but I was glad it was over.

I turned to see Gillian walking towards me.

"Gillian!" I said sprinting towards her.

I wrapped my arms around her.

"I thought he killed you!" I said.

"No actually I don't even know what happened." She said. "I mean did I pass out?"

Without comprehending her words I was just glad she was safe.

She saw James lying on the ground in the snow.

"So that's it then." She says. "He's dead."

We both walked over to the dead body. I kneeled next to him. His eyes open revealing no life left in him. I place my hands over his face and lightly motioned it downwards resulting in closing his eyes.

I then stood up and walked to the over watch of Mount Saint Helens and plopped down in the snow. The sight was beautiful from here.

Gillian sat down next to me and looked at it as well.

"There's one question that is bothering me." I said.

"What's that?"

I turned to her.

"What the hell did we just encounter?" I said.


End file.
